Photo courtesy of Honor Flight Network Facebook page

On June 15th, there was a fundraiser to help send Guthrie County Veterans on the Brushy Creek Honor Flight.

Panora American Legion and Sons of the American Legion Commander Pat Moylan says that the group joined up with the Brushy Creek Honor Flight out of Fort Dodge about eight years ago, and that they have been able to send many veterans to Washington DC since. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that a few years ago, they were short on money to be able to send anyone, and were able to secure funding from a donation by the 10 Squared Men of Guthrie County due to a member there that was a veteran.

“I think that hit home when he said, ‘I finally got the welcome home I didn’t get 50 some years ago.’ And if that isn’t a powerful statement there in itself. For a lot of those guys, when they came home, they weren’t treated very well. They landed on the west coast, and you can imagine the things they were called. Spit on.”

Moylan mentions that with 130 to 135 veterans on each honor flight, the camaraderie they feel being with other veterans that may have faced similar circumstances is something that is special for the veterans. He adds that each flight also has health care professionals to take care of the veterans, as most at this time are all from the Vietnam War era, but that there may be a few who are older and from the Korean War era as well.

Moylan shares that those that do take the honor flight are able to visit the different war monuments in Washington DC, and that when they land to begin their tours, there are crowds there to greet them, and cheer for them. He says that of all the veterans that he’s talked to that have taken the trip, all of them have been happy and glad that they went.